my functional medicine journey to wellness

My Pegan Pick #2!

Last week, I mentioned that the functional medicine detox diet I’ve been following for the past 2.5+ months also resulted in a number of new (and delicious) products to try. I’ll be the first to admit, I was super skeptical when my dietitian suggested edamame & mung bean pasta upon my first visit. First of all, I’m Italian. I love my Grandma Connie’s homemade pasta more than anything else in the whole world. How could a pasta made of beans stand a chance?

And the reality is, it doesn’t, but nothing ever will! So, if we’re talking boxed pasta options of both the glutenous (white, wheat…) and gluten free (quinoa, rice…) variety, it is definitely my top pick for a number of reasons.

First, there is no reason to add a protein into this pasta: one serving has 24 grams! Seriously! When I was vegan, it was always an issue when I wanted pasta…do I add tofu to pasta? No. Do I add tempeh? I guess…but even tempeh pasta gets tiresome after a while. With this pasta, no need to add anything – problem solved. Check out all of the nutrition information (sorry for the awkward photo…it’s right on the seam):

Second, it has a texture appropriate for al dente pasta. Having tried a bunch of different alternative pastas, some just don’t meet the mark here. But this pasta actually could masquerade as “normal” pasta. Even Zack loved it!

Third, it makes for the easiest lunch / dinner ever.

Boil water.

Cook edamame and mung bean pasta for eight minutes.

While pasta is cooking, saute broccoli, eggplant, and/or any other vegetable you have in the refrigerator in coconut oil.

The only downside to this alternative pasta is the price tag (surprise, surprise). I bought mine through Thrive Market at an introductory price of $3.15 per bag, with four servings in each bag. It is also sold at Whole Foods…I’m fairly certain it cost $4.49. Through the manufacturer’s website, you need to buy a 6 pack at a $30 price point. Finally, for comparison’s sake, I found a value pack of the same product at Costco, just in the form of spaghetti noodles instead of fettuccine noodles for $9.89 for 16 servings. I haven’t tried the spaghetti yet, but I have no reason to believe it will be any less awesome than the fettuccine!

So, the next time you’re in the market for a gluten-free, pegan pasta option, I highly recommend Explore Asian’s Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine. Let me know how you like it! And in case you missed it, Julian Bakery Paleo Wraps were my first pegan pick last week!

Have you ever tried a bean-based alternative pasta? What are your thoughts?